Inner tube having a reinforced core member structure for ball sports

ABSTRACT

An inner tube having paper strips, which are made of rayon fibers of natural pulp having a rayon structure and capable of being decomposed by biological agents when the ball is worn out, arranged into abutted parallel pairs and respectively bonded to the front side, back, top, bottom, left and right sides of the spherical rubber body thereof with latex adhesive evenly in multiple layers to reinforce the structural strength, assuring even distribution of wall thickness and enhancing ball durability.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a ball structure for ball sports and more particularly, to an inner tube having a reinforced core member structure for a ball for ball sports, which has high durability and provides evenly distributed elasticity.

2. Description of the Related Art

To enhance durability, the inner tube for soccer ball or volleyball may be provided with a reinforced surface structure. As shown in FIGS. 1˜11, the inner tube A comprises 8 pcs of first nonwoven fabric strips 1˜8 arranged in four crossed pairs 1,2; 3,4; 5,6; 7,8 and respectively bonded to the front side (see FIG. 1), back side (see FIG. 2), top side (see FIG. 3) and bottom side (see FIG. 4) of the spherical rubber body thereof, 4 pcs of second nonwoven fabric strips (see arranged into two crossed pairs 9,10; 11, 12 and respectively bonded to the left side (see FIG. 5) and right side (see FIG. 6) over respective ends of the 8 pcs of first nonwoven fabric strips 1˜8, 4 pcs of third nonwoven fabric strips 13˜16 respectively bonded to the junction between the top side and the front and back sides and the junction between the bottom side and the front and back sides of the spherical rubber body (see FIGS. 7 and 8), 4 pcs of fourth nonwoven fabric strips 17˜20 respectively bonded to the four corner areas among the front, back left and right sides of the spherical rubber body (see FIGS. 9), and 4 pcs of fifth nonwoven fabric strips 21˜24 respectively bonded to the top and bottom sides at the third times (see FIGS. 10 and 11). After bonding, the reinforced spherical inner tube A is vulcanized and covered with an outer covering, forming a finished ball.

This design of core member structure has drawbacks as follows:

-   1. Bonding nonwoven fabric strips to the surface of the rubber core     member in a crossed manner results in uneven distribution of     elasticity, affecting ball bouncing balance. -   2. Because nonwoven fabric strips are bonded to the top and bottom     sides of the rubber core member third times (see FIGS. 7, 8, 10 and     11), wall thickness at the top and bottom sides becomes relatively     thicker than other areas, causing uneven distribution of elasticity     and affecting ball bouncing balance. -   3. As the nonwoven fabric strips are made of a chemical fiber     material, they are not capable of being decomposed by biological     agents when the ball is worn out. Thus, this design is not     environmentally friendly.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention has been accomplished under the circumstances in view. It is the main object of the present invention to provide a reinforced core member structure for a ball for ball sports, which has high durability, provides evenly distributed elasticity, and environmentally friendly.

To achieve this and other objects of the present invention, an inner tube for sports ball having 24 pcs of paper strips arranged into abutted parallel pairs and respectively bonded to the front side, back, top, bottom, left and right sides of the spherical rubber body thereof with latex adhesive evenly in multiple layers to reinforce the structural strength, assuring even distribution of wall thickness and enhancing ball durability.

Further, the paper strips are made of rayon fibers of natural pulp having a rayon structure and capable of being decomposed by biological agents when the ball is worn out, and therefore the invention is environmentally friendly.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other and further benefits, advantages and features of the present invention will be fully understood by reference to the following specification in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic drawing illustrating bonding of first nonwoven fabric strips according to the prior art (I).

FIG. 2 is a schematic drawing illustrating bonding of first nonwoven fabric strips according to the prior art (II).

FIG. 3 is a schematic drawing illustrating bonding of first nonwoven fabric strips according to the prior art (III).

FIG. 4 is a schematic drawing illustrating bonding of first nonwoven fabric strips according to the prior art (IV).

FIG. 5 is a schematic drawing illustrating bonding of second nonwoven fabric strips according to the prior art (I).

FIG. 6 is a schematic drawing illustrating bonding of second nonwoven fabric strips according to the prior art (II).

FIG. 7 is a schematic drawing illustrating bonding of third nonwoven fabric strips according to the prior art (I).

FIG. 8 is a schematic drawing illustrating bonding of third nonwoven fabric strips according to the prior art (II).

FIG. 9 is a schematic drawing illustrating bonding of fourth nonwoven fabric strips according to the prior art.

FIG. 10 is a schematic drawing illustrating bonding of fifth nonwoven fabric strips according to the prior art (I).

FIG. 11 is a schematic drawing illustrating bonding of fifth nonwoven fabric strips according to the prior art (II).

FIG. 12 is a schematic drawing illustrating bonding of first paper strips according to the present invention (I).

FIG. 13 is a schematic drawing illustrating bonding of first paper strips according to the present invention (II).

FIG. 14 is a schematic drawing illustrating bonding of second paper strips according to the present invention (I).

FIG. 15 is a schematic drawing illustrating bonding of second paper strips according to the present invention (II).

FIG. 16 is a schematic drawing illustrating bonding of third paper strips according to the present invention (I).

FIG. 17 is a schematic drawing illustrating bonding of third paper strips according to the present invention (II).

FIG. 18 is a schematic drawing illustrating bonding of fourth paper strips according to the present invention (I).

FIG. 19 is a schematic drawing illustrating bonding of fourth paper strips according to the present invention (II).

FIG. 20 is a schematic drawing illustrating bonding of fifth paper strips according to the present invention (I).

FIG. 21 is a schematic drawing illustrating bonding of fifth paper strips according to the present invention (II).

FIG. 22 is a schematic drawing illustrating bonding of sixth paper strips according to the present invention (I).

FIG. 23 is a schematic drawing illustrating bonding of sixth paper strips according to the present invention (II).

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The various objects and advantages of the present invention will be more readily understood from the following detailed description of four embodiments when read in conjunction with the appended drawings, in which like reference numbers denote like elements of structure.

Referring to FIGS. 12˜23, an inner tube having a reinforced core member structure for ball sports in accordance with the present invention is shown comprising a spherical rubber body B, four first paper strips arranged into two abutted parallel pairs 31,32;33,34 and respectively bonded to the front side (see FIG. 12) and back side (see FIG. 13) of the spherical rubber body B with latex adhesive, four second paper strips arranged into two abutted parallel pairs 35,36;37,38 and respectively bonded to the top side (see FIG. 14) and bottom side (see FIG. 15) of the spherical rubber body B with latex adhesive and respectively partially overlapped on the ends of the first paper strips 31˜34, four third paper strips arranged into two abutted parallel pairs 39,40;41,42 and respectively bonded to the right side (see FIG. 16) and left side (see FIG. 17) of the spherical rubber body B with latex adhesive and respectively partially overlapped on the ends of the second paper strips 35˜38, four fourth paper strips arranged into two abutted parallel pairs 43,44;45,46 and respectively bonded to the left side (see FIG. 18) and right side (see FIG. 19) of the spherical rubber body B with latex adhesive and respectively perpendicularly extending over the two pairs of third paper strips 41,42;39,40, four fifth paper strips arranged into two abutted parallel pairs 47,48;49,50 and respectively bonded to the back side (see FIG. 20) and front side (see FIG. 21) of the spherical rubber body B with latex adhesive, and four sixth paper strips arranged into two abutted parallel pairs 51,52;53,54 and respectively bonded to the top side (see FIG. 22) and bottom side (see FIG. 23) of the spherical rubber body B with latex adhesive. Thereafter, the inner tube is vulcanized and covered with an outer covering, forming a finished ball.

The inner tube having a reinforced core member structure of the present invention has the features and advantages as follows:

-   1. The paper strips are arranged into abutted parallel pairs and     bonded to the surface of the spherical rubber body, assuring even     wall thickness and uneven distribution of elasticity. -   2. The surface of the inner tube is evenly covered with two layers     of paper strips, assuring even distribution of wall thickness and     enhancing ball durability. -   3. The paper strips are made of rayon fibers of natural pulp having     a rayon structure and capable of being decomposed by biological     agents when the ball is worn out. Thus, the invention is     environmentally friendly.

Although a particular embodiment of the invention has been described in detail for purposes of illustration, various modifications and enhancements may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be limited except as by the appended claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. An inner tube for ball sports, comprising a spherical rubber body, four first paper strips arranged into two abutted parallel pairs and respectively bonded to front side and back side of said spherical rubber body with latex adhesive, four second paper strips arranged into two abutted parallel pairs and respectively bonded to top side and bottom side of said spherical rubber body with latex adhesive and respectively partially overlapped on opposing ends of said first paper strips, four third paper strips arranged into two abutted parallel pairs and respectively bonded to right side and left side of said spherical rubber body with latex adhesive and respectively partially overlapped on opposing ends of said second paper strips, four fourth paper strips arranged into two abutted parallel pairs and respectively bonded to the left side and right side of said spherical rubber body with latex adhesive and respectively perpendicularly extending over the two pairs of said third paper strips, four fifth paper strips arranged into two abutted parallel pairs and respectively bonded to the back side and front side of said spherical rubber body with latex adhesive, and four sixth paper strips arranged into two abutted parallel pairs and respectively bonded to the top side and bottom side of said spherical rubber body with latex adhesive. 